My Next Broken Heart
by attheendoftheday
Summary: One Shot. Follow on to "You're gonna miss me when I'm gone". The next day where Bella reflects back on her previous drama filled night and then runs into her bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll again. BXE AH/AU, slightly OOC. M for f-bombs


**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, songs, lyrics etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**APOV **

Sunlight streamed through the large windows of my apartment, painting bright strips of warmth across the polished floorboards. I stood back from the mannequin set up in front of the middle window, critically assessing the pleats I'd just pinned into the waist of the skirt I was working on. My head to the side, I absently reached for my phone when its ringtone broke the silence and answered the call without checking the display.

'Talk now' I murmured, still absorbed in the drape of the fabric in front of me.  
"Hi, I'm calling about your ad looking for a roommate in today's paper." A warm, soft female voice said.  
"Great!" I responded as I spun away from the mannequin and glanced at my watch, it was 10am. "Do you want to meet for a coffee and discuss the details? You can check out the apartment after coffee if we think we can get along okay."  
"That sounds good."  
"Great!" I repeated. "When do you want to meet?"  
"I'm free anytime this weekend or in the evenings early next week. I'll fit in with when you're available." The soft voice replied.  
"How about this morning? Do you know the Get Roasted café downtown?" I asked. I already had a feeling that I'd found my new roommate in the girl on the other end of the call.  
"Yeah." She laughed, "I'm sitting on a couch up the back as we speak."  
I laughed lightly at the coincidence also. "I can meet you there in twenty minutes."  
"That would be fantastic." She said. "I'm in the far right corner; I'll save you a place."  
"Okay, I'll see you in twenty." I confirmed. "Bye!"

I froze as I glanced down at the display as I ended the call. I already had the number saved in my phone as 'Bella'. I smiled now, remembering the pretty girl with chestnut hair from the night before and how I'd saved her number in my contacts when Edward had returned my phone after calling her. He'd been grinning like he'd just won the lottery and looked like he was trying not to break into a Snoopy happy dance. My smile softened as I recalled how happy and excited he'd seemed in that moment, I hadn't seen my brother that carefree in a long time.

I skipped to my room and into my walk-in closet to pick out an outfit for the morning and then moved quickly to the master bathroom to fix my hair and makeup before leaving to meet Bella.

After I was ready, I scrolled through the contacts in my phone as I flitted across my living room to gather up my keys and purse until I found Edward's number. I pressed Talk before I could overthink my next actions.  
"Alice?" His voice seemed hoarse this morning and still half-asleep.  
"Little big brother!" I greeted him brightly. "Did I wake you?"  
"No… I was just laying here thinking about getting up actually."  
"Oh good, you're taking me to brunch this morning!" I told him.  
"I am?" He half laughed.  
"Yep!" I looked at my watch, calculating when I'd be finished after meeting with Bella and organizing when she could move in. "Can you meet me downstairs from my place in… say… an hour?"  
"Yeah." He replied, "I'll see you on the street outside of your building in one hour. Do you want me to rustle up Jasper and drag him along too?"  
"No, leave him sleep. I'll see Jasper this afternoon and I'll see you soon!" I sang, ending the call as I grabbed my jacket and spun out of the door of my apartment. I closed the door behind me and made my way quickly to the elevator, punching the down button repeatedly as I grinned at my cunning plan; I wasn't meddling, I was just offering a gentle, helping hand.

**BPOV **

I folded the newspaper in front of me and pushed it to the side, pulling my coffee in front of me to stir in some sugar. I chewed on my bottom lip as I leaned forward on the deep, comfortable couch, hoping that the girl with the apartment who I'd be meeting in just a few minutes would be as nice as she seemed on the phone.

I sighed, feeling restless and uncomfortable this morning after all that happened last night at Aro's. I had finally broken up with Garrett, my boyfriend of two years, and had fallen, just a little, madly and deeply head-over-heels for the stunning bronze haired rock god across the room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Yesterday had been one of those days. The morning and early afternoon had been crazily hectic as we wrapped up the final leg on Jane Demitri's book tour for her latest, already bestselling novel. My job as Assistant Publicist for her US publisher required me to be at everyone's beck and call and I hadn't had a moment to myself until I sunk into my Economy seat on the flight home. I'd only just made the flight after getting stuck in heavy traffic in the taxi to the airport. The plane had, luckily for me, been delayed by a late connecting flight but I had still had to dash through the terminal arriving breathless and overheated after the rest of the passengers had all already boarded. I had then spilt an almost full cup of luke warm coffee all down my white blouse when we hit turbulence during the flight and the only clean top I had in my luggage was the white tank top with the builtin shelf bra that I slept in as pajamas. I'd changed into the tank top in the tiny airplane toilet, stuffing my soaked blouse and bra into spare airplane sick bags after trying to rinse them and wring them out in the tiny hand basin. After shoving my ruined clothes back into my duffle bag in the overhead locker I had flopped back into my seat and pushed in my ear buds and set my MP3 player on shuffle, closing my eyes as Brooks and Dunn's 'You're gonna miss me when I'm gone' started playing in my ears.

My eyes had pricked with tears behind my eyelids as I listened to the lyrics and thought about Garrett, our stalled relationship and my new resolution to end it over the weekend. I'd known I was being silly getting emotional listening to this song, I couldn't have honestly said that I thought Garrett would actually miss me after the first shock of the break up had worn off. I knew he would soon move on to his next woman or overseas adventure, wishing me happiness and love in my future, and maybe he would reflect warmly on our time together but it wouldn't be with regret that we could have been more or could still be together. That's why I was getting teary with this song, I'd realized; I wanted him to have cared enough about me that he _would_ miss me when I was gone.

When I'd met him he had just arrived in town for a twelve month contract at one of the city's biggest IT companies and he was a strong, free spirit who was fascinated by life, by people and, at that time, by me. I had grown and learnt so much being with him that I couldn't be bitter now that he had grown restless and unhappy. Well, I could be a little bitter I'd amended to myself, not because he didn't love me or that we hadn't lasted as a couple but because he hadn't had the strength to end the relationship and set us both free as soon as he realized that I wasn't the woman that he wanted to be beside in his future. Now, one year after I had moved into his apartment, six months after I started to question his feeling for me and to shut off my own feelings for him and three months after we had lapsed into an uneasy roommate relationship with no physical intimacy, I was going to be the one to have to break things off. I had abruptly changed playlists then to my 'Relax' mix, not wanting to become any more melancholy than I already was feeling, and sighed when Debussy's Clair De Lune quietly began playing.

When I had finally made it to the cocktail bar where Garrett had asked me to meet him I was tired, hungry and underwhelmed at the prospect of spending an evening making small talk with friends and colleagues of Garrett's. I had paused just inside the door, scanning the room to find where Garrett was sitting. As I'd skimmed my gaze along the line of booths in front of me, I had briefly registered a tall, oh so handsome, man leaning against the side of the furthest booth, his smile had vanished when our eyes met and then I had turned my eyes away to the far side of the room, still searching for Garrett. A split second later, the realization of what I'd just seen had hit me and my stomach had flipped. I'd torn my eyes back to him and again met his stare. He wasn't handsome; he was so much more, stunning, beautiful, otherworldly. His hair was a rich brownish, reddish mess, his nose was perfectly straight, his jaw strong and his lips full and slightly parted as he stared back at me. He was wearing loose, faded jeans and a white t-shirt that hugged his shoulders and chest and then draped loosely over his slim hips. I couldn't see the color of his eyes from the distance that separated us but I'd been able to feel the heat and magnetic pull in his stare that trapped mine and laid me bare before him. A second, a minute, an hour later his attention had snapped down to the tiny dark haired girl sitting beside him, freeing me from the web of his mesmerizing eyes. I had let out the breath I hadn't known that I was holding and turned away to continue looking for Garrett. The way the spiky haired gorgeous woman had glared at him meant that he'd been sprung staring at me and would have some fast explaining to do. I had felt my heart sink slightly as I realized that she must be his girlfriend.

I had found Garrett in a booth halfway along the far side of the room, sitting around from a vaguely familiar, pretty blonde. I had lifted my hand to return his wave and then pointed at the bar to show that I was going to grab a drink on my way over to their booth. I had turned to the bar and sighed then when I saw the people crowding in front of me, realizing I would have to battle to hold my ground if I wanted a drink in the next hour. I had resisted looking over my shoulder to ogle again at the bronze haired god, imagining that I could feel the heat of his stare on my back as I stood patiently waiting.

I had turned to look up at the very tall, very young looking guy who hesitated beside me and said hi.  
"Hi." I'd returned, smiling back carefully, not wanting to shoot him down harshly but not wanting to encourage him at the same time.  
"You look like you really need a drink right now." He had burst out. "I'll clear a path to the front if you want to follow."  
I had laughed, half surprised and half delighted that he'd been so honest and wasn't going to drop a cheesy pickup line on me. "Let's do it!" I'd smiled up at him, immediately drawn to this big kid beside me.  
He'd been as good as his word, easily parting the crowd and arriving at the bar with me close behind him, my hand looking tiny where it rested on his back so I wouldn't get separated from him in the press of bodies.

I'd chatted easily with him at the bar while we waited for our drinks, finding out his name was Seth and he was working that night but was not allowed to serve behind the bar until he turned twenty-one in a month's time. I'd been able to see the effort he was making to talk with me and I had wondered briefly why he had approached me as he wasn't sending me any vibes that he was interested in me other than to see that I got a drink quickly. I'd followed him out of the crowd when we both had our drinks, he with a large tray of assorted drinks that he balanced easily above his head as we moved slowly through the people in front of us. He'd stopped when we were clear of crowd at the bar and I'd stood on tiptoes to say thank you over the noise in the room. He'd smiled back bashfully and told me to wave when I needed another tow to the bar. I'd laughed and agreed happily, turning to start to work around the room towards Garrett. I'd felt lighter then, cheered by my interaction with Seth and I'd glanced over to see where he had ended up in the room.

My step had faltered then, Seth had stopped at the far booth next to the stage where my bronze haired god was still standing. There were two good looking, tall men leaning their forearms against the back of the booth next to him now. The lanky blonde guy was laughing at something Seth had said, his hand resting possessively on the shoulder of the little dark haired girl that I'd at first assumed was my god's girlfriend. My messy haired obsession had looked like he was holding in his own laughter as he smiled over at Seth. I'd flicked my glance around their table, trying to pair up the couples that were sitting there. My stomach had flipped again as I realized that the odd man out appeared to be the stunning man who could stop me breathing just by looking at me across the room. I had mentally shaken my finger at myself then, he might be single but I wasn't yet, and then quickened my pace to arrive at the table where Garrett was waiting, watching me approach.

Garrett's smile when I'd stopped at our booth had reminded me of how he used to look at me when we were first dating but then the blonde sitting at our table had shifted on the bench seat and I'd seen a wince flash over Garrett's expression. In that brief flicker I had seen guilt and unease and had known suddenly that something had happened between Garrett and the pretty blonde. I'd quickly held up my hand to stop Garrett's slide around the seat towards me and then motioned him to scoot back around to where he'd been sitting. I'd set my drink on the table and then swung my bag onto the bench seat in front of me creating a barrier between Garrett and myself, avoiding looking at him, genuinely hurt in that moment by the cheating bastard. I'd politely shaken the blonde's hand; her name was Kate Garrett had reminded me and we'd met at their office Christmas party the previous year. I'd reined in my inner hellcat then, determined to not give her the satisfaction of creating a scene but still not able to believe her gall to sit there innocently attempting conversation when Garrett was telegraphing his guilt and discomfort with every forced sentence and gesture. I had wondered then if Garrett was trying to push our already dead relationship to the point of no return by setting me up to catch him being unfaithful, something I never believed he could be. I'd set my shoulders then, deciding not to give him an easy out and buy into his little melodrama if that was what he was doing. If he wanted me to leave tonight and give him permission to carry on with Kate opposite me then he could man up and tell me that we were over; he could be the bad guy in our break up if he wanted it to play out tonight in the crowded bar.

The lights in the room had dimmed and brightened in quick succession then and I'd looked over to the front of the room to see if a band was going to take the stage. The three beautiful men I'd seen earlier across the room were rushing towards the stage, laughing and jostling each other in their haste. I'd watched in stunned awe as my bronze haired dream had sprung gracefully onto the stage, gliding across to the side closest to where I was sitting and shrugging into the strap on his acoustic guitar as he sat lightly on the low stool next to a keyboard. My mouth had fallen open when he began to sing and I had immediately forgotten the ugly situation with Garrett and the brazen blonde across from me.

As I'd watched he had grinned at his band mates as most of the audience recognized the start of "Use Somebody" and cheered and whistled over their first vocals. In that moment, he had looked so alive and vibrant and beautiful that I'd felt my heart expand and an answering grin spread across my own face. Hopefully, I'd thought to myself, anyone watching me would just assume that I recognized the song like the rest of the crowd. I'd flicked my glance then to the two other men on the stage; the blonde guy was smiling into the audience as he strummed his guitar but the big dark haired guy playing drums wedged between his knees was glaring over at our booth, seemingly straight at Garrett. I'd turned my head to look at Garrett at that point but he was watching me and not looking at the stage. I'd looked back at the drummer then but he'd turned his attention back to the crowd in front of the stage. I'd then looked quickly over at the booth where I'd first seen the bronze haired rock god and noticed that the three girls had moved to sit on the back of their booth, facing out to the crowd. I'd caught the gaze of the beautiful, blonde girl sitting in the middle of the three girls and she'd smiled back at me briefly before her gaze continued to wander over the rest of the crowd.

I'd turned my attention back to my rock god on stage, his eyes closed and the muscles in his forearm shifting and tensing as he played. His voice had been slightly roughened as he sang, effortlessly imparting all of the yearning in the lyrics. He'd opened his eyes to stare directly into my eyes then and I'd felt the room disappear and the air in my lungs freeze. He'd quickly dropped his eyes, breaking the almost visible current I felt pulling me towards him. I'd been unable to look away from him as he sang the second verse and so he'd caught me still staring at him when he'd flicked his gaze towards me a second time. He'd looked away quickly and stayed silent while the other two on stage sang through the chorus, the crowd happily singing along with them, and I'd bitten my bottom lip wondering if I'd creeped him out by my obvious fangirl ogling. I'd deliberately avoided looking at him for the rest of the song, watching his two friends on stage instead, smiling at the interaction between themselves and the crowd in front of the stage. The joy and enthusiasm this band shared with their audience contrasted strongly with many other bands in small venues that I'd seen who performed like they were too hip and jaded to actually enjoy playing in front of a live audience. These guys had quickly captured the audience in one song and I'd wished that I'd caught their earlier set.

I hadn't recognised the band's next cover song, the melody was fast and bright and the voice of my vision of male perfection on the stage had been clear and light and almost sweet. I'd listened to the lyrics with rapt attention and then laughed at the chorus,

_Thanks you've been fuel for thought  
Now I'm more lonely than before  
But that's ok  
I've just ready made  
Another fucking love song_

"Bella, someone wants you." Kate's voice had broken my focus on the stage and I had looked over at her in surprise, we hadn't spoken since I'd first arrived. I had followed her gaze to the far side of the room and seen Seth trying to grab my attention. As I had watched he'd elaborately mimed meeting at the bar for another round of drinks. I'd nodded enthusiastically back, lightheartedly exaggerating my motions as much as he had. I'd stood up then, grabbed my purse and taken Garrett's and Kate's drink requests before hurrying to meet Seth in front of the still crowded bar. I had been seriously contemplating spitting into their drinks when I offered to get them but shrugged off the thought as I once again followed Seth up to the front of the queue at the bar. He'd been singing along to the song the band was now playing, one I'd heard often on the radio and I'd joined him in the next chorus, both of us happily shouting along with a group of people singing at the bar.

_shake shake  
shake shake  
shake it _

I'd bought a packet of potato crisps with my drinks and then followed Seth carefully out from the bar, focusing fiercely on holding the three drinks in a wedge in my two hands and my dinner of starchy goodness under my arm. By the time I'd made it back to our booth without spilling the drinks the blonde guy on stage was singing "Walking in Memphis" and I was singing the chorus along with everyone else. I had paused after setting down our drinks, chewing my bottom lip with a dilemma; I was seriously overheating in my leather jacket but was only wearing my tank top underneath the jacket. I had decided quickly to lose the jacket, I wouldn't be underdressed compared to some of the other outfits I'd seen in the crowd and I was too hot to keep my jacket on. I'd quickly slipped off my jacket and tossed it on top of my bag before starting to slide back into the booth.

A velvet voice softly cursing, "Fuck. Me." had frozen me in place then; the problem was that the half whispered exclamation had been spoken directly into a microphone. I'd lifted my head in slow motion and stared up at the stage in shock, unsure if I'd missed something happening on stage as I was turned away or if the soft curse had coincided with me taking my jacket off.

"Sorry, I dropped my pick." The bronze haired idol had smoothly murmured but then had undone most of his cool factor by bumping his forehead into his microphone as he'd ducked quickly forward to supposedly grab his pick up off the stage. He'd paused briefly and then scooped up his pick and started playing again, smiling easily at the laughter of his band mates and at the applause and whistles that rang out from the audience at his fumble.

The blonde guitar player had continued singing their next song, "Hurt so good" and I'd watched them playing, smiling when they'd reached the chorus and again almost the whole room had joined them singing it. I'd been watching the blonde guitar player, tapping my fingers to the beat, when I'd seen in my peripheral vision the messy head of hair next to him turn towards me. I'd shifted my eyes to meet his and felt my pulse kick as I looked at him, his hair was now dark with sweat and his t-shirt clung damply to his chest. He'd looked away from me still smiling and I'd quietly blown out the breath I was holding, I'd realized then that I was starting to seriously crush on this tousled haired rock star. I had gulped at the end of the song when my perfect rock star had shrugged out of his guitar strap and then lifted up his shirt to wipe his damp face, showing his perfectly defined abs. I'd ruefully amended my name for him, I would now formally refer to him as the bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll.

He'd spun to his keyboard and skillfully played "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room", his face beautiful and serene as he concentrated on his fingers, his voice effortlessly harmonizing during the chorus. Kate had gone to get a round of drinks for us during the song and I had flicked a quick look at Garrett when she'd walked away. He'd been looking across the room and I'd followed his gaze and watched as the cool blonde I had noticed earlier haughtily stared at Garrett with one perfect eyebrow arched and a hint of a sneer in how she held her mouth. Her eyes had flicked to me briefly and then, once again, returned to casually scan the crowd. I'd looked again at Garrett but he had been staring at his hands clasped in front of him on the table.

The song had ended then and my bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll had swiveled to briefly chat with the drummer and guitarist. When he'd swung back to his keyboard his face had been fierce and I'd watched in stunned fangirl awe as he'd rolled his shoulders and then began to play and sing "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon, his voice once again roughened and perfectly matching the mood of the song. I'd laughed seeing two girls near our booth clutch each other's forearms and almost swoon as he sang the chorus. I'd known exactly how they were feeling and decided then to find out if these guys were playing again and to come and see them if they were. I'd watched as my bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll grinned crookedly into the crowd in front of the stage and would have sworn that I'd been able to hear the sound of panties dropping to the floor over the music.

"Bella?" I'd turned in surprise to Garrett, the smile still on my face. "You look really beautiful tonight."  
"Er, thanks Garrett." I'd looked at him carefully, unsure of what game he was playing but still certain that he knew that I knew something had gone down between him and Kate. "You seem a little off your game tonight, Garrett. Maybe a bit subdued?" I'd returned, not able to bite back the sly dig at him.  
The applause for the end of the song had drowned out what Garrett said next and I'd returned my attention to the stage where the drummer was now grinning as he introduced the next song.

"Hey there! We're gonna mix things up now because it's been getting hot in here. This one goes out to all the ladies."  
I'd laughed easily as he'd dropped his voice to a deep bass at the end of his intro and he'd started to rap the first verse to Nelly's "Hot In Herre". My jaw had dropped in the chorus when my bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll had sung in an easy falsetto,

_I am getting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off_

He'd seemed so at ease with himself and so confident in his raw sexuality that I'd fully expected him to be mobbed by half naked girls storming the stage. I'd wanted to take his clothes off for him myself and at least half the audience had seemed to be on the same wavelength as me. I'd watched him light heartedly laughing on stage at the end of the song while the applause rang on and on. My jaw had hit the table when he'd again pulled up his shirt to wipe his brow, showing a brief flash of his hard stomach that looked slick with sweat under the lights on stage, and he'd grinned wickedly at the loud wolf whistle that pierced through the rest of the applause.

The blonde guitarist had spoken then, introducing their last song before their break. My bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll had set his guitar aside and was sitting straight on his low stool, his hands resting on his long thighs, gently tapping the rhythm of the upcoming song.  
"This one's going out to one special lady tonight." The blonde had continued and I'd frowned as I'd thought I recognised the start of the song. "Sometimes you gotta stay to work things out but sometimes you gotta know that you deserve better. When you're lucky, that someone better is right in front of you, like tonight..."  
The messy haired object of my fangirl crush had then started to sing the first lines of Brooks and Dunn's "You're gonna miss me when I'm gone", a frown momentarily creasing his brow but his voice heartbreakingly clear and sweet.

The words the blonde guitarist had spoken had rolled around in my head as I'd softly sang along with the first verse. "… sometimes you gotta know that you deserve better. When you're lucky, that someone better is right in front of you…" he'd said. I'd been still watching my bronze haired god of sweetness and heartache on stage when he'd opened his eyes directly into mine, his gaze intense and his gentle voice echoing the sound of a thousand broken hearts. Unable to look away, I'd silently sung the chorus with him, my voice gone as I lost myself in his gaze.

_You better kiss me _

_'cos you're gonna miss me when I'm gone_

He'd turned this attention back to the blonde guitarist next to him and I'd dropped my eyes to our table, worrying my bottom lip with my teeth as a million thoughts ran through my head. I don't know how long I'd stared down at the table but my rioting thoughts settled and I'd known in that instant that I didn't want to sit beside Garrett for another moment longer. Garrett deserved to be happy and free and I wanted the chance to find someone who would cherish and value me as much as I deserved. I'd thought then that Garrett would be a fool if he didn't miss me when I was gone, if he didn't miss the woman that I was and the woman that I would grow to be.

Seth had stopped at our table then, smiling down and pointing silently at the bar with his eyebrow raised in question. I'd smiled quickly at him but held up my finger to ask him silently to wait a moment. He'd nodded happily and stayed standing close beside me, his eyes stormy when they'd turned to rest on Garrett. Shaking my head, I'd shooed him away and then quickly turned to my bag to find my keys. I'd pulled out my keys and separated the one to Garrett's apartment, pulling it off my keychain and palming the rest of the bunch into the front pocket of my jeans.

I'd turned to Garrett and seen that he was watching me with a look of shocked horror on his face. I'd scooted closer to him and reached over my bag to pull the back of his neck down to me. I'd kissed him then, a sad, sweet, chaste kiss that conveyed my sorrow that we hadn't worked out but also my hope that we'd both be happy in our separate futures. I'd slid his key over the table towards him with one finger and then slipped out to stand at the side of the booth. I'd quickly pulled on my jacket and grabbed out my bag.

"Be happy, Garrett. I'll call you tomorrow about picking up my things." I'd said.  
"Bella, don't—" He'd started to say but I'd stopped him sadly.  
"Garrett… you need to find someone you would follow to the end of the world." I'd told him, aware that our voices were loud to be heard over the music.  
His eyes had flicked in the direction of where Kate had gone to get our drinks and my stomach had clenched. He'd found that woman…  
"Be happy, Garrett." I'd repeated, smiling sadly with unshed tears suddenly flooding my eyes. I'd spun away quickly and stepped to where Seth was waiting just a few feet away, watching me anxiously.

"Bella, are you alright?" He'd asked, his huge hand gently touching my elbow in concern.  
Blinking back the tears that hadn't started to fall yet, I'd nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright, Seth. Now let's get these drinks!" I'd tried a watery smile then pushed him gently in the back to start him towards the bar.

At the bar, he'd turned to me when it was my turn to order and I'd held up my hand to both him and the girl behind the bar. "Actually, Seth, I'm going to head off now."  
"Are you sure? You can come and sit with the band, they're on break at the end of this song." He'd offered kindly.  
I'd shaken my head. "Nuh, I'm wrecked. It's been a long day and so I'm going to call it a night." I'd paused then, thinking. "But would you be able to take a note back with the drinks?" I'd asked, still undecided if I was going to follow my instinct to try to connect with my bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll. I'd gnawed on my bottom lip as I'd thought about how many girls would be approaching him tonight but knew that I'd regret not acting on my impulse if I never saw him again.  
"Sure." Seth had replied easily, passing me a napkin and reaching over the bar to grab a marker from behind the counter.  
"Thanks… What should I write?" I'd asked him then, unsure of what I wanted to say.  
"Um… Who to?" He'd asked, shifting anxiously from foot to foot.  
"To the keyboard player?" I'd answered, more of a question than a statement. I'd laughed then, both of us were chewing our bottom lips, frowns creasing our brows, unsure of what I could write. I'd scribbled my name and number quickly down then and folded the napkin in half, placing it on his tray of drinks before I could change my mind.  
"And I give it to the keyboard player?" Seth had asked.  
"Yep, the pretty one." I'd confirmed laughing. I'd smiled up at him then, "Thanks for tonight, Seth. It was lovely to meet you and spend time with you. You're a great guy."  
He'd ducked his head bashfully and then smiled back at me. "You too, Bella. Come back and say hi any time and I'll make sure you get a drink right away."  
I'd laughed and touched his arm briefly before slipping away from him through the crowd towards the door. I passed by Kate looking frazzled as she tried to edge her way back from the bar, worriedly holding three drinks in her hands. I'd resisted the impulse to trip her then and continued to slip around the bodies between me and my escape, pulling out my phone to call my friend Angela to see if I could stay at her place for the night as I glided through the crowd.

I'd found Angela's name in my phone and was waiting for the call to connect as I'd slipped out of the door, walking briskly past the queue that was now waiting to get into the bar.  
"Bella?" Angela had asked, answering the call.  
"Hi, Angela, sorry to call so late." I'd said, happy to hear that she didn't sound like I'd woken her up.  
"It's fine, Bella, I'm watching TV right now. Are you back from your trip?"  
"Yeah, I got in earlier but I need a place to stay tonight. Can I crash with you and Ben?"  
"Of course… Does this mean you've kicked that rat bastard to the curb?" She'd asked, her voice brightening.  
"Yeah." I'd coughed a laugh at her eagerness.  
"Are you alright?" She'd asked gently then.  
"Yeah." I'd repeated. "I'm good. I'm about a ten minute walk away, Angela. I'll see you soon?"  
"See you soon. I'll go make up the spare room." She'd said and we'd ended the call after exchanging farewells.

I'd pushed my phone into my pocket and turned up my collar against the damp night air, stepping quickly across the road towards Angela's apartment four blocks away. I'd kept my eyes trained on the pavement as I'd walked briskly, thinking back over the night and wondering idly about some of the looks directed at Garrett that I'd intercepted. I'd cringed inwardly then, worrying that he'd flirted or tried something on with one of the pretty girls across the room and that's why their whole group had shown more than a passing interest in our table. I'd felt a hot, painful blush spread up from my chest into my face then as I'd remembered the note I'd sent back with Seth, mortified that I'd misread the interest that my bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll had shown me throughout the night.

My phone ringing then had snapped my attention back to the city street. Pulling the handset out of my pocket I'd glanced at the display to see that the call was from an unknown caller. I'd debated answering the call, not wanting to have to deal with a work related call after a long day and even longer evening.

Sighing, I'd pressed the Talk button to connect the call and answered formally, "Isabella Swan speaking."  
"Um, hi, is this Bella?" A velvet voice spoke and my mind had immediately flashed to my bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll but I hadn't been able to reconcile that confident, self aware man to the slightly hesitant voice on my phone.  
"Yes, who's this?"  
"Um, this is Edward, um, from Aro's... er, um, the pretty one?" The velvet voice had stammered. My heart had felt like it was bursting as I'd realized that the unsure, nervous voice was actually my bronze haired rock star calling me and sounding like just a boy calling a girl that he liked. I'd giddily thought that his name, Edward, suited him and I'd felt my feet itch like I could have started skipping down the street.  
"Hey! You called!" I'd replied, a huge smile splitting my face. I'd had to tease him then, laughing that the god on stage who had flirted with an entire audience of girls could question that he was good looking. "And, please, don't be denying that you know you're pretty. I saw you flashing your six pack at the girls in the front row." I'd lightly said.  
"What! Flashing? I wasn't! I was just really sweaty" He'd breathlessly stuttered.  
Unable to resist, I'd quickly rejoined, "That's what she said!" snickering. I'd frozen then, biting my lip, worried that he'd think I was bratty, that had been something I'd say to Seth or joking with Angela and not to Edward, the sexy, suave rock star that I wanted to impress.  
He'd laughed delightedly though and I'd quietly let out my breath.  
"So—" I'd said at the same time that he'd spoken and then there was an awkward pause while we'd both waited for the other to continue.  
I'd quickly jumped in, "You go." I'd not known what I'd actually wanted to say anyway.  
"Okay. Um, I just wanted to see if you are alright." He'd asked softly.  
I'd worried then that I'd again misread his queues and that he was just calling after watching Garrett and I during the night. I'd breathed out. "Yeah, I'm good." I'd muttered.  
"Did you…" I'd heard him pause before he'd continued in a rush, "Um, look please tell me to piss off if I'm out of line here, but did you just break up with your boyfriend?"  
I'd stopped walking then, closing my eyes when I'd realized that Edward had just been calling after seeing me storm out of the bar after leaving Garrett. "Yeah… Yeah, I guess I just did." I'd muttered again and then had continued, trying to find out if it'd been so obvious or if Seth had filled in their table with the juicy gossip. "Did Seth say something?" I'd asked, not wanting to believe that Seth would have spoken so easily about my drama when his concern had seemed so genuine.  
"He did... but only because he was asked about it..." He'd spoken carefully and I had thought uneasily that he was guarding his words. "Um, he was asked partly because of my, uh, um, well because of my reaction to you tonight..." He'd continued quietly.  
I'd been stunned, momentarily wondering if Edward might have felt what I had felt between us. "Your reaction?" I'd asked, not daring to believe the possibility.  
"Yeah, well, um, it was probably pretty obvious to my friends, and probably everyone else in the crowd, that I, um... that I kinda lost it a couple of times when I looked at you... " He'd said so softly that I'd been pressing my phone painfully into my ear, desperate to hear what he was saying.  
"Oh..." I'd whispered, just as softly, awed that this bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll had been as aware of me as I'd been of him.  
"So, yeah, when you vanished so quickly we wanted to know if you were ok." He'd finished, speaking more normally now.

I'd taken a deep breath then and started to reassure him again that I was fine. "Well... Yes, I am actually alright..." I'd breathed deeply again and found myself wanting to explain to him what I was feeling, more than I'd wanted to tell even Angela.  
"It hurts, even though it's been a while coming and I should have broken it off ages ago. I'll be glad I did it in the morning... I guess I'm also a bit embarrassed that I just flounced out on my guy in a bar, it seems a bit clichéd or overly dramatic or something." I'd continued, and then rushed on, "I made up my mind about breaking things off with Garrett while I was away but I was going to wait to talk to him on the weekend but it all just happened tonight…." I'd stopped then, not knowing how to finish what I'd been trying to say. "And it all just sucks, you know? It just sucks that it didn't work out..." I'd finished sadly, surprised at how truthful I'd just been talking to this man I'd only just started to know.  
There had been an uneasy silence between us before he'd spoken, his voice deep and low. "It sounds like you could use a hug right now." And his husky voice had sent a jolt through my mind and my body.

I'd gulped loudly and then had started to stammer something until I'd had to clear my throat. I'm not sure what I'd said after that other than I wanted a raincheck on his offer of a hug because I wanted to get sweaty with him. My entire brain had been filled with an image of him sweaty and smiling his sexy crooked grin down at me as I pressed up against his naked chest and stomach, my hands reaching into his damp hair. I'd realized that I'd kept babbling into the phone while my mind had shut down and I had panicked when he had gone quiet at the other end of the call. I'd thought that his breathing had picked up, sounding quicker in my ear but I hadn't been able to be sure and he hadn't answered when I'd anxiously repeated his name. I'd wondered if he'd hung up on me for a wild moment but he'd finally answered me, sounding distracted and asking me if I'd said something. I'd been uncertain whether he'd heard any of my stupid babbling and so I'd hurriedly and lightly apologized for my rambling word vomit and then cast around for something to say that would change the subject.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" I'd hesitated, not sure if I actually wanted to know the answer to what I was about to ask.  
"Anything… " He'd quickly replied, still sounding half a world away.  
I'd had to laugh and tease him then, I had been tempted to ask him what had him so distracted just then, wondering if his brain had taken him to the same places that I'd just fantasized about. He'd laughed back lightly and had amended his grand promise to allow me to ask him almost anything.  
I'd hesitated again but then forged on, "Look, did Garrett hit on one of your girls before I got there?" I'd asked quickly.  
He hadn't replied and so I'd rushed on to explain why I had asked, "It's just that he seemed to be fielding some pretty dark looks tonight and I thought maybe he'd upset one of your girlfriends or something..." I'd said and then realized that I could have sounded like I'd been fishing to see if he had a girlfriend and I'd started to worry what he'd think about me giving him my number when I didn't know if he was single.  
"Oh, okay, I think he tried something on with Rosalie last night but she shot him down." He'd quickly replied and my attention had zeroed on only one part of this reply. Last night? Garrett had emailed me yesterday to tell me that he'd be working late in the office and so wouldn't be able to talk on the phone with me if called. I'd firmly closed the chapter on Garrett for good right then, I'd been right that I hadn't wanted to know the answer to my question.  
"Which one is Rosalie?"I'd asked to distract him from my first muttered question. We'd easily chatted then about his family and friends that I'd only seen across the bar until he'd blurted out that he was single into a brief lull in our conversation. I'd fought back my smile and quietly responded that I was too after that night.

A much longer pause had settled between us then that was suddenly broken by Edward's yelp."Ow! Fuck, Alice!" He'd hurriedly apologized and explained why he'd yelled in my ear as I'd laughed helplessly. I'd laughed partly because of his explanation in his rush to apologize and partly because he'd sounded so much like an exasperated sibling getting hassled while talking to a girl on the phone in that moment.

"Um, hey, Bella. Alice wanted me to check that you have somewhere to stay tonight. You can crash at her flat if you need to, she has plenty of room..." Edward had offered after a muffled conversation on his end of the phone that had allowed me to control my laughter while he'd had the phone covered.  
"I've already organized to stay with a friend." I'd explained. "Can you thank Alice for me though? That's very generous of her... a bit weird at the same time, mind you, she doesn't know me at all..." I'd added.  
"Yeah, that's Alice, very generous but a bit weird..." He'd lightly said and then paused. "Bella?" He'd asked softly, sounding unsure again.  
"Yes, Edward?" I'd asked, smiling at his hesitation.  
"Um, can I call you again tomorrow? It's just that this isn't my phone, I never bring my phone to a gig, in case I lose it because I can't take it on stage and so I had to borrow Alice's phone." He'd asked in a rush.  
"I'd really like that, Edward." I'd responded, grinning happily at my feet  
"Bella, I have to go back on now." He'd quickly said and I'd wanted to spin around in a circle at the reluctance I heard in his voice.  
"Okay, have a good time then." I'd said, ready to hang up, happy that he seemed to want to call me again.  
"Wait! Bella?" He'd called quickly.  
"Yes?" I'd answered just as quickly.  
"Um, would you like to come and see us play again next week? We are playing Thursdays and Fridays at Aro's now. You could sit with Alice and Rosalie." He'd asked in one long breath.  
I had actually spun around in a circle in the middle of the sidewalk then, smiling widely. "That sounds fun, I'd like that a lot." I'd replied, trying to play it cool.  
"And I'll speak to you tomorrow, right?" He'd asked, still sounding uncertain.  
"Right! Well then, goodnight Edward." I'd smiled.  
"Goodnight, Bella." He'd said and then ended the call.

I'd grinned down at the phone in my hand unable to believe that he'd wanted to call me again and wanted me to see him play next week, sitting with his sister and his brother's girlfriend. I'd started walking towards Angela's again, knowing that my little fangirl crush had developed into something much more serious after talking with Edward, the bronze haired god of sex and lust and rock 'n roll who had been shy and sweet on the phone.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I blinked now, snapping out of my daydream. I was still stirring my coffee and was smiling goofily down at the now cold liquid. Straightening up, I checked my watch and looked up to see if I could see the girl who I was now due to meet.

"Hi, I'm Alice" The slight, spiky haired girl from last night was standing in front of me, smiling with her hand outstretched towards me. "And you're Bella, my new roommate." She added.  
"Hi Alice. It's nice to meet you." I smiled back, shaking her hand. "Um, your new roommate? That was your ad that I answered?" I asked.  
She lightly stepped to the seat beside me and sank down gracefully; setting the espresso cup she had been holding on the table in front of us.  
"Yes, I saw your name had come up on my phone after I'd hung up from speaking with you." She said lightly. "I saved you into my contacts after Edward spoke to you last night."  
"Oh… " I smiled weakly, a little bemused at suddenly being seated next to the beautiful dark haired girl from last night when I'd expected to meet a stranger about their room for let.  
"Shall we go through the interview for appearances sake? Or should we just decide we are going to be best friends and great roommates and leave to check out the apartment?" She asked next, smiling at me brightly.  
"Um, maybe we should go through the motions and cover the basics and then we can check out the apartment." I murmured, slightly awed by her confidence and bubbly enthusiasm.  
"Cool! So Bella, do you have a job?" She asked, pretending to be working from a list on an invisible clip board in her hand.  
I laughed and proceeded to chat easily with Alice about our jobs, our hobbies, our cooking skills and our favorite food, tv shows, movies and music. We talked briefly about Alice's boyfriend Jasper and how much time he spent with Alice in her apartment.

"Okay, last question Bella, do you have a boyfriend?" She asked when we came to a natural lull in our conversation.  
I flashed a sharp look at her face, positive that she knew I'd broken up with Garrett last night. She was watching me carefully with a kind smile on her face.  
"No, I split up with my boyfriend of two years last night. I've already picked up some of my things from his place earlier this morning." I told her, still not understanding why she was asking.  
"I actually wanted to talk with you about last night." She said, still watching me closely. She paused, her expression silently asking my permission to continue.  
I nodded quickly, curious now about what she wanted to tell me.  
"Rosalie and I overheard the blonde that was sitting with your boyfriend telling a friend that his girlfriend was going to arrive." She paused and then spoke quietly. "We were waiting for a scene to erupt when his girlfriend arrived." Her smile twisted then and she shrugged slightly. "Sometimes we get bored at a gig, the audience is always different but always the same, I guess."  
"Oh…" I muttered, staring unhappily down at my hands in my lap, knowing I'd provided their night's entertainment.  
She reached over and gently placed her hand on my arm. "We didn't see a scene, Bella." She said softly. "Instead we saw a cool, pretty girl who handled herself and the situation with grace and strength." She chuckled then. "I think you won us over when you were kind to Seth. He really liked you." She explained.  
I smiled over at her then. "He seemed like a nice, genuine guy. And he was a direct line to the bar whenever I needed a drink." I said lightly.  
She laughed softly and then grew serious again. "We didn't know that you had left your boyfriend until we cornered Seth. I wouldn't have handled the situation half as well if I'd been in your shoes."  
I blushed slightly. "Thank you for saying that. It must have looked less dramatic than it felt." I smiled, relieved to understand now the strange attention that had been focused on our table the night before.

Alice looked at her watch and then gasped. "Bella, do you mind if we rush back now to see the apartment? I'm meeting someone in fifteen minutes."  
"That's fine, Alice." I said, quickly grabbing my newspaper and phone from the table and then swinging my messenger bag over my shoulder. "Lead the way!" I laughed.  
She paused though, looking me up and down when I stood up. "You look good, Bella. Being single agrees with you." She said.  
I blushed and laughed self consciously, tugging at the hem of my The Cure t-shirt that my mother had bought me at the first concert I went to. It had fit well when it was bought but was snug now after I'd finally developed my curves and it only just skimmed the waist band of my faded 501s. I followed her out of the café, both of us weaving between the tables as we continued our conversation, now talking about our respective friends and family.

Alice's apartment was a short two minute walk from the café and we had soon ridden the lift up to her floor and were standing just inside her front door. It was a warehouse style apartment with open plan living and dining areas and kitchen and it was furnished with a funky mix of asian antiques and modern sleek furniture. There were large windows that flooded the open plan layout with light and looked out onto the street. One long wall held two doors widely spaced apart and Alice gestured me to the door closest to the windows.

"This is your room, Bella." She said, swinging the door open.  
"Wow!" I muttered as I stepped into the room. The room was brightly lit with the sunlight streaming in the large window. There was a large, king sized bed, two bedside tables, a large chest of drawers and a built-in closet. An open door showed a small ensuite bathroom that had a toilet and large shower along with a huge mirror above the wash basin and counter.  
"Do you like it, Bella?" Alice asked anxiously, holding up both her hands with crossed fingers.  
"Alice, I love it." I laughed. "But why didn't you take the room with the huge window?" I asked her curiously.  
"My room has a walk-in closet and the master bathroom." She explained. "Please say you'll move in, Bella." She pleaded, still holding her crossed fingers up.  
"I'll move in tomorrow if you'll have me." I told her, now holding up my own hands with my fingers crossed.  
Alice squealed and grabbed me in a hug, spinning us around with the momentum of her tackle.

Her phone beeped with a message right then and she quickly opened her phone to retrieve the text.  
"Bella, is it ok if I call you later to organize tomorrow?" She asked, holding the phone up to show that she had to respond to the message.  
"That's fine, Alice. I'll let myself out." I told her quickly, remembering that she was meeting someone soon.  
She followed me out of my new room and hugged me again before starting to type a reply on her phone. "See you tomorrow!" She called after me.

I walked out of the apartment and over to the elevator where there was already a couple and an older lady waiting for the lift to arrive. My phone rang then and I scrambled in my messenger bag to find it before it went to voicemail. Pulling it out of my bag I checked the display and saw that the call was from an unknown number, probably work I thought rolling my eyes.  
"Isabella Swan speaking." I answered formally.  
"Bella! It's Edward." My favorite velvet voice said. "Can you talk?"  
The elevator doors opened then. "Yes but I'm just about to step into a lift and so I might cut out." I replied happily, avoiding the stern look I got from the older lady as I stepped into the lift.  
"Okay…" Edward replied. We were quiet while I waited for the doors to close and I listened to Edward breath on the other end of the call.  
"Are there other people in the lift with you?" He asked after a long pause.  
"Yes." I answered simply, receiving another look from the same lady. I watched impatiently as the numbers above the doors slowly sunk towards the Ground floor.  
"Okay…" He repeated but I could hear a smile in his voice. "So… what are you wearing?" He asked slyly, his voice deep and husky.  
I coughed over my laugh. "You are such a boy, Edward!" I muttered, looking straight ahead to avoid eye contact with the grumpy old lady. I breathed a sigh of relief when the doors opened on the ground floor but waited to let the other people exit first.  
"No, Bella, I'm a man." He corrected me and I marveled how different again he was on the phone this morning.  
I stepped out of the lift and turned towards the doors leading out on to the street and froze. Edward was standing in front of Alice's building, leaning against a lamppost and looking down the street away from me. He was wearing a long sleeved black t-shirt, faded jeans that snugly followed his long thighs and black converse shoes that were untied. His hair was shining brightly in the sun and his profile was perfect as I gazed at him.  
"Not a man, a rock star." I corrected him in turn, slowly walking towards the front door of the building now, stunned by his beauty.  
I watched him as he laughed; running a hand through his already tousled bronze hair. "Hardly a rock star, Bella. I play in a cover band." He said, still laughing.  
"Edward, sorry, I've just seen someone I really want to catch up with." I said, hoping to surprise him, but then felt bad as I saw him freeze.  
"No, don't go!" He said quickly, his hand clenched into a fist on his thigh.  
"Um, okay… but it might be a bit awkward." I said, biting down on my smile. "Hold on…"

**EPOV **

I waited anxiously on the phone for Bella to say something else, not wanting her to end the call.

I'd arrived downstairs from Alice's apartment at 11am, exactly on time, and sent a text to say that I was waiting. She'd quickly sent a text back saying that she just had to change and then she'd be down. I'd sighed, knowing I had at least a twenty minute wait before she'd be ready. I'd leaned up against a pole and decided to call Bella. When she'd answered her phone Bella had sounded happy to hear from me and I'd been flirting with her, teasing her because she'd seemed uneasy about talking in the lift with other people listening. She'd laughed with me and so I didn't think she was offended but then she told me that she wanted to talk with someone else. I'd not wanted to finish the call on a possible bad note and so I'd begged her not to hang up. She'd told me to wait and so here I was still waiting for her to say something, feeling like an idiot.

A movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention and I turned my head towards the movement and froze, my phone still held up to my ear and my free hand stopped half way on its way to run through my hair. Bella stepped around in front of me, holding her phone to her ear. She pointed to her phone and mouthed 'Sorry, phonecall' at me before biting her bottom lip and smiling up into my eyes. I stared at her for a stunned moment, she was so beautiful. Her warm brown eyes sparkled mischievously, one tooth caught her full red bottom that was stretched with her wide smile, and her cute straight nose was crinkled lightly with her grin. Her hair tumbled down her back in soft waves and shone in the morning sunlight. She was wearing a faded band t-shirt that was tight across her breasts and lightly brushed the waistband of her slim jeans. I swallowed dryly and quickly returned my eyes to her face. She was still grinning at me and we were both still holding our phones to our ears.

Her laugh finally burst out and I laughed with her, closing the distance between us in one step and swept her into a hug without thinking. My arms wrapped around her waist and her hands hesitantly went around my neck and for one glorious second she relaxed against me and we had held each other for that one perfect moment. I stepped back, my hands at her hips and her hands on my shoulders but with inches now separating our bodies.  
"You have green eyes." She told me softly, smiling into my eyes.  
"You smell like strawberries." I told her just as softly, my smile echoing hers.  
After another endless moment I pulled my hands away and took another small step back. "Um, sorry about that." I muttered, worried that I might have come on too strong. I dropped my eyes to my phone and ended our call, smiling ruefully and feeling awkward.  
When I looked back at her I thought I saw a faint blush in her creamy cheeks. "It must be a family thing." She shrugged lightly. "Alice almost knocked me over just now."  
"Wait until you meet Emmett." I laughed. "Hang on, Alice?" I asked sharply, remembering then that Bella's number would have been in Alice's phone and cringing inwardly at the thought that Alice may have phoned Bella before me this morning. I would kill the interfering little pixie…  
"Yeah, I answered her ad in the newspaper for a new roommate." She explained.  
"Oh, okay." I smiled, relieved.  
She looked down the street, avoiding my eyes. "I'm moving in with her tomorrow." She seemed uncomfortable and I couldn't read her expression to understand why.  
"Oh, okay." I repeated stupidly. "Do you need help moving your stuff?" I asked, worriedly watching her profile as she continued to avoid my eyes.  
She flashed her beautiful wide smile at me then. "No, I just have a couple of boxes of books and a bookcase left to move… And my cds and my laptop and my stereo, geez…" She trailed off and I realized that she must have been worried that I wouldn't want her moving in with my sister. "I've asked my friend Angela and her husband to help me." She said and then continued. "I picked up my clothes this morning." She plucked at the hem of her t-shirt.  
My eyes dropped to her chest again and my mouth filled with saliva as I stared at her breasts in the snug t-shirt. I swallowed thickly and dragged my reluctant eyes back to her face. "That was a good show." I muttered, referring to the The Cure tour advertised on her shirt.  
"It was." She agreed and I thought I saw in her smile that she knew I'd been staring at her breasts like a teenage boy. "It was the first concert I went to… My mother dragged me along to it." She continued, dropping her eyes and smiling at her feet.  
"Me too." I chuckled. "But I made my dad take me."  
A comfortable silence settled on us. I greedily stared at her downturned face and hair, not quite believing that she was standing in front of me.  
"So… Are you meeting Alice?" She asked, looking back up at me, her expression neutral now.  
"Yeah… She's running late." I answered and then looked at my phone in my hand when it beeped with an incoming message followed almost immediately with the signal of another text. I smiled apologetically and then retrieved the first message.

_**Take her to brunch, Fool - Ali**_

I coughed over my laugh and opened the next text.

_**I explained about last night - Ali**_

I looked up to the fifth floor of the building in front of me and saw Alice's head poking out of her window, watching me and Bella on the street. I would kiss the interfering little pixie…  
"Actually Bella, Alice has just stood me up. Would you like to join me for brunch?" I asked, unsure if she would accept.  
"Um, okay." She smiled at her feet again. "I'm actually starving." She admitted turning her smile up to me.  
"Good, so am I." I smiled crookedly down at her and gestured with my hand down the street in the direction of my favorite diner.

As we started walking down the street her phone rang and she checked the display before blowing out a noisy exasperated breath and ending the call without answering it.  
"Boyfriend?" I asked, trying to be casual.  
"_Ex _boyfriend." She corrected, emphasizing the ex in her statement and avoiding my eyes.  
I ran my hand through my hair, not sure what to say but wanting to address the elephant between us on the sidewalk. "Are you doing okay?" I asked softly.  
She nodded easily but didn't say anything.  
"It… It just seemed like a shitty situation last night…" I said, referring to the fact that I'd been aware of some of what had happened during the night.  
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Eh, it's all just 'Whiskey Under the Bridge'." She said lightly.  
I flashed a glance at her profile, it was a strange turn of phrase and actually the name of a country song by Brooks and Dunn. She was watching me out of the corner of her eye and I thought I could see in her smile that she was waiting to see if I understood her reference.  
"Aint that the 'Honky Tonk Truth'." I drawled, mimicking Jasper's accent with one of his favorite sayings, also one of their songs. I hoped I'd read her correctly otherwise she would think I was mad.  
She coughed a laugh. "Yeah, well I'm thinking I should start working on 'My Next Broken Heart'."  
I threw my head back and laughed and impulsively grabbed her hand, my choice was either hold her hand or drop to one knee and propose to this pretty, sexy, funny girl who could swap country song titles like cheesy lines.

My breath caught in my chest at the jolt of electricity I felt when I clasped her small hand in mine. I saw her eyes widen fractionally as she turned her smile to me and my chest freed and expanded as I thought that maybe, just maybe, she had felt the same spark that I had. I smiled crookedly across at her and minutely squeezed her fingers in mine as we continued down towards the end of the street.

"So, Edward." Bella said into our easy silence. "Your street cred is pretty high with your first concert."  
"Yours too." I murmured, smiling.  
"So what was the first album you bought yourself with your own money?" She asked.  
I flashed a glance at her and saw that she was smiling expectantly at me, her eyes wide and innocent. "I… Um, next question please, Bella."  
"What?" She asked, shocked that I wasn't going to answer her. "Uh oh, now I really want to know, Edward. What year was it? I can guess!" She half teased, half laughed.  
"I'll tell you later." I muttered. "Much, much later. Like in fifty years later."  
She laughed. "It can't be as bad as mine. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." She promised.  
I thought seriously then about telling her what album I had bought when I was twelve years old but cringed at just the thought of saying it out loud to her. "I'll tell you later." I repeated stubbornly.  
"Edward, you're blushing!" She laughed again.  
I dropped her hand to rake my fingers through my hair in agitation, not really upset but uncomfortable and desperate to change the subject.  
"Sorry." She muttered, biting down hard on her bottom lip to choke off her laughter.  
I caught her hand again and slowed to a stop, pulling her around gently to face me. We were standing outside the diner now. "Bella…" I began, brushing her bottom lip with the thumb of my free hand so she would stop worrying it with her teeth.  
"I'm sorry, Edward." She said quickly in the pause of my hesitation. "I hate it when people tease me about blushing, it only makes it worse." She continued quietly, her eyes fixed on the base of my neck, avoiding eye contact with me.  
"Bella…" I repeated, replacing my thumb with my forefinger to stop her unnecessary apology and getting lost in the feel of her soft lips under my finger and the sizzle of heat that I felt from the contact.  
"I just couldn't believe that you, the god of …..… rock 'n roll, could blush." She whispered so quietly that I couldn't hear all of her words.  
"Bella, shhh." I soothed her. "Wait… What did you just call me?" I asked intently, shifting my gaze from her mouth up to her eyes.  
She was meeting my stare now, her eyes wide and stricken and her cheeks darkening painfully with her own blush. "Um, nothing." She whispered, drawing back from my touch on her lips.  
I pulled her gently closer by the hand I was still clasping in my own. "It wasn't nothing." I smiled crookedly into her eyes and raised my free hand to cup the side of her face, brushing my thumb across her hot cheek. "What did you call me?" I repeated my question gently.  
She lowered her eyes to stare at my nose avoiding my eye contact but unable to drop her gaze any further with my hand gently cradling her face. "Um, I called you the god of cover band rock 'n roll." She shrugged and then flashed her eyes up to boldly hold my own.  
I stared intently into her eyes, my own eyes narrowed. "Hmm… Flattering." I murmured and then smiled crookedly. "And a nice try but not what you said. Bella, what did you call me?" I coaxed.  
"I'm not going to tell you, Edward." She muttered unhappily, dropping her eyes from mine once again.  
"Bella, please?" I pleaded, my voice low and husky. "I'll tell you the first album I bought." I promised.  
"I'm not going to tell you, Edward." She repeated and both my eyebrows shot up in surprise that my promise hadn't won her secret from her.

I dropped my hand from her cheek and took a half step back, she looked unhappy and I knew that I was being too intense and coming on too strong again. I reached down and clasped her other hand so that I was now holding both her hands between us. I took in a deep breath and thought about how to lighten the mood between us.  
"Bella, I'll make you a deal." I said, trying for casual and squeezing her fingers gently.  
She breathed in shakily and met my eyes with her own, looking almost wary. "Okay…" She said slowly.  
"You tell me—" I started.  
"Edward, I'm not going to tell you." She interrupted.  
I huffed a laugh and then tried again, raising an eyebrow and daring her to interrupt me again. "You tell me what you called me just now… in fifty years time. We'll stand on this street, on this date, at…" I glanced at my watch, turning her hand that I was holding with mine to see the watch face. " 11:15 with you standing beside me and then you can tell me." I finished, feeling suddenly uneasy about how important her agreeing to my stupid 'deal' was to me.  
She was watching my face and I couldn't read her expression. "You want me standing beside you in fifty years time?" She asked, cutting straight to the heart of the unspoken part of my 'deal' and what, I realized, I really wanted her to promise me.  
I knew then that my attempt to be light and casual had failed. "Either that or you could just tell me right now." I shrugged, still trying for nonchalant.  
"Okay, deal!" She agreed, shifting her right hand in mine to hold it in a traditional grip and shaking it briskly. "I'll be here on September 13, 2060 at 11:15, standing beside you." Her face was serious but her eyes were shining with a hidden smile and my heart stuttered at the promise in that smile.  
"And you'll tell me what you called me just now…" I reminded her.  
She rolled her eyes. "And I'll tell you what I called you just now." She agreed easily.  
"Cool!" I breathed happily, smiling down at her and feeling like I had to run and jump and shout from a rooftop and kiss the beautiful woman in front of me until I couldn't breathe.

I glanced over at the front window of the diner now and I saw a group of girls in the booth at the window watching us with slack jaws and avid eyes. I huffed a laugh as Bella followed my gaze and then quickly pulled her eyes back to mine with a soft blush again warming her cheeks.  
"Let's get something to eat, Bella." I chuckled, gesturing towards the door.  
I opened the door for her and was unable to stop bouncing on my toes with joy after she had passed through the door in front of me. I sternly reined in my euphoria not wanting Bella to see me bouncing up and down like Alice.

I knew I really wanted Bella by my side forever and not just fifty years but, I decided easily in that moment, I would just ask her to stand beside me for another fifty years when the first fifty had passed. I stepped quickly to her side and gently placed my hand in the small of her back, marveling at the hot spark I felt with the light touch and the quick intake of her breath that told me she felt it also. I knew then that we had both found our home, standing at each other's side, and that we would be happy together for the next fifty years and for the fifty years after that that she would promise me when I asked.

fin


End file.
